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Archive | March 2013

Over the years, there has been a lot of controversy about Marilyn Monroe’s size and measurements. We are not sure where it all began nor do we know the true origin of the myths surrounding her size, but we do know that the public at ‘large’ is only dreaming if they think she was ever a size 16.

All over the world and in Hollywood for sure, new rumors spark up every single day over the size of any and all famous actresses and models. We’ve all seen it waiting in line at the grocers glaring at us on the front cover of the tabloids. They like nothing better than to blot out a face and ask the general public ‘who’s body is this?’ And though she has been gone for over 50 years now, Marilyn is still no exception to this. Even today, the controversy over what her true measurements were still cause major discussions. Most of what we have found being touted as truth, is there to only try to convince a much ‘larger’ world that she was between a 12 and 16, pretty much what the average woman’s size is today.

Fortunately for us, documented research has been done on Marilyn’s body type and her dress size. We hope to answer once and for all – did Marilyn Monroe’s measurements really equate to size 12 – 16?

Let’s look at some facts:

~~Women’s sizes today are nowhere near comparable to sizes back in the 1950s. The number sizing system has changed significantly over the years. Just go up in your Grandmother’s attic and find an old McCall sewing pattern if you don’t believe us. In fact, the United States Department of Commerce stepped in during the 1980s to completely change the sizing system used throughout stores. A size 8 today would be about a size 16 in the 1950s.

~~Marilyn Monroe’s body shape was an extreme hour-glass. Her size was measured by one of her dress makers and released as 5’5” tall, 35” bust, 22” waist, and 35” hips. Her bra size was 36D. During Marilyn’s time, her waist was about 2-3 inches smaller than the average woman in America and by today’s average she was 12 inches smaller. (McDonald’s fries anyone?)

It’s a good thing her star-status gave her the ability to spoil herself with custom fitted clothing. Any woman, even today, with the spectacular hourglass shape similar to Marilyn’s would have a hard time finding clothes that fit in a regular department store – you can forget Wal-Mart for sure.

Throughout Marilyn’s career, she had a lot of weight fluctuations due to depression, illness, and other personal problems that she fought with. especially during the final years of her life. However, even at her largest, she was still small by todays standards. People often talk about how she was about the same size as the average woman today, that’s just wishful thinking by a culture that has put on a few pounds.

The average woman’s waist size today is about 34 inches whereas Marilyn’s waist size was only 22 inches. Models in her time had an average waist size of about 25 inches. Even by the standards of the day, Marilyn was small. By today’s standards, she would be VERY small.

So, once and for all, Marilyn was not a 12 or 16. Not even close. She was more like a 4 or 6 with a special need to have the waste taken in on everything! And no one can argue, that by the standards of yesterday or today, all dolled up or just relaxing with a good book, Marilyn is beautiful!

Hi everyone. We thought we woud give you a peek at what the cover for the new What She Knew Trilogy is shaping up to look like. K.R. and I just love the feel of this cover. We would love to know what you think of it.

~~~~This is the mock up of the main cover for the three book series.~~~~

What kind of images does this cover conjer up in your mind of Marilyn Monroe and the story contained within?

~~~~This is the mock up of the cover for book one in the series, Fateful Night~~~~

Seeing this cover, what comes to mind? What are all the things you think of when you see the picture of Marilyn Monroe, the syringe, and her grave marker? Did you notice the end date is erased on her grave marker? We are really interested in what you have to say about the cover.

Though we have all been told “don’t judge a book by its cover” we all do just that! So, what’s your verdict on this book when you look at this cover? Does it make you want to open it up and devour its contents, or is it only so-so and you just want to pass it by?

T.R. Stoddard is the author of her own wild imagination. Psychological thrillers and unique young adult fiction are her forte, but she hopes to one day make a contribution to each major genre. Stoddard has two novels and one short story currently in circulation, and spends her free time creating more. She lives in Orlando, Fl with her boyfriend and their rescue dog Harry PAWter.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is an anti-gay policy sweeping the Bible Belt portion of the nation. Freshman journalism student Rachael Ainsley goes undercover as a high school senior named Cassie Rae for a tell-all exposé, hoping to drastically alter the Gay Rights Movement. She instantly befriends the gayest boy in school. Imagine his surprise when he finds out who she really is. Can she stick to her deadline, or will she be discovered before she has a chance to change the lives of the students attending Mooreville High?

Reviews:

“T.R. Stoddard has done it again! Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell takes you right back to high school, to a life of cliques, horrible teachers, and best friends. In a prose that makes you feel as if you’re one of the kids sitting in Reformation Hall, you’re catapulted through a busy few weeks of Rachael Ainsley’s life as she goes undercover at a high school where a Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy is in the works and where she deems it her job to break the story to get her journalism career off with a bang. What she doesn’t realize is that she will befriend some of the best people possible, yet they’re also the ones the school administration is trying to abandon. Yet again a page-turning read, you will be sucked in and you seriously will not want the ride to end.” – EffinNikktastic (Amazon)

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“College freshman Rachel goes undercover posing as “Cassie” to do a story on a heinous “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy at a high school in Bible Belt, USA. What she finds is a school where you are “punished” for being, looking

Or acting in a “gay” manner. This was a great book, full of harsh reality. was a very emotional read for me, having so many gay friends and family members, and knowing this kind of hatred really does exist. I loved the ending, and I commend Ms. Stoddard for writing this book!!!” – Tonya (Amazon)

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“As the title might suggest, this book tackles the issue of gay rights in the school system. The main character is a journalism student who decides to infiltrate a local high school so she can find out more about this policy. The program itself is meant to punish and rehabilitate wayward students with homosexual tendencies, speech, appearance, or any other traits that make the people around them uncomfortable. Through the course of her attendance she meets several young people who are all unique in their own way. Those who make it to Reformation Hall are not all gay and many are simply supporters of equal rights.

I beta read this book a couple of months ago and I was impressed with how the author respectfully portrayed members of the LGBTQ community and reinforced the importance of unity and strength in numbers. Each student in Reformation Hall is incredibly unique and memorable but the shining star for me was Zane but I was also a fan of the open-minded Barbie doll relationships his younger sister had later on in the story. There are several sweet moments intertwined with the darker issues of bullying and abuse gay and lesbian students currently face and it is done very well.” – Jennifer J Albert (Amazon)

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“T.R. Stoddard’s latest novel, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is an intriguing story about gay rights, something that is close to my heart for obvious reasons.

The novel starts off with college freshman Rachael Ainsley, trying to find that perfect story every journalism major needs to further his or her career.

What she finds is all that, and more, when she discovers the absurd “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy being implemented at a high school in the Bible Belt, USA. The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy is a new way of “controlling” homosexuality, by issuing warnings and reprimands for any student who even “acts” gay, or shows predilection for the same sex in any way.

Rachel [undercover name Cassie] infiltrates the school, makes some great friends along the way, and learns that standing up for yourself is better than keeping quiet.

Overall, a wonderful read that deals with all of the truths, lies, and ludicrous consequences of being gay in present-day America.” – Jason (Amazon)

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“For a second book, I’d say T.R Stoddard hit this one out of the park. At the very beginning of this novel you find yourself following college freshman Rachel Ainsley to Mooreville High School where she will be under the alias Cassie Rae to find out information about the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy that had been enforced. It starts out as just a journalism project for Rachel but you slowly learn that it turns into so much more. Every chapter I found myself becoming engrossed in the relationships that were forming throughout the story. From best friends to boyfriends you’ll want to root for these outcasts to rise above the harmful policy. There are many twists and turns throughout that leave you wanting to know more. The author really hit some important issues in the LGBTQ community and sends the messages that one person really can change it all with enough support and ambition. There are many times where I found myself smiling, laughing or crying, it takes you on a real emotional roller coaster that you will want to ride out until the end. I’d highly recommend this book to anybody, it’s a quick read with a powerful message.” –Ginny (Amazon)

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“High School is hard enough when you have to face the ridicule of other students but, when the faculty is dead set against you, it is even worse. Rachael Ainsley, a college student, is looking for the story that will open doors for her. When she goes undercover at a high school to investigate a heinous social policy, she opens up the eyes of the public.

The High School’s incredibly prejudiced Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy is taken to extremes by the faculty. Landing anyone with “gay tendencies” and their sympathizers in a place called Reformation Hall. When Rachel finds herself among those who are banished from the regular school, she has the opportunity to meet the kids there and her mission to write a story, turns into a mission to change the world.

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Taking a step from her usual dark passage, T.R. Stoddard has set out to enlighten the world with Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Zane and Vinnie’s journey through a life other’s don’t always understand will break your heart and Rachael’s will to help those around her will leave you in awe. I salute Ms. Stoddard for telling a story of substance that will have your eyes glued to every page.” -Catherine (Amazon)

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“This is a story about a young woman reporter who goes undercover at a high school where there have been rumors that the principal has been encouraging students to bully and harass gays and other students who are different. She finds out the rumors are true and she exposes the whole thing to the public. This is a bittersweet tale that will keep you reading until the very last page.” –Patricia N (Amazon)

We know that you can find plenty of photos showing Marilyn Monroe all glammed-out in her Hollywood attire, but there may be even more of the sex symbol… reading. Even if you only take a cursory look at Monroe’s candid video footage and photo archives, one of the first things you will see is the ‘reader’ that she was. Marilyn was very curious by nature, always asking, always searching, always learning. A far cry from the ‘dumb blonde’ persona she put on for the public. She once said that “It takes a smart brunette to play a dumb blonde.” And, that was so true. Marilyn was smart. She had a very high I.Q. and never backed away from reading, growing and learning.

According to OpenCulture, when Monroe died in 1962 she left around 400 books behind. Some time later, many of them were auctioned off by Christie’s in New York City. Now on LibraryThing you can get a look at 262 of those books. Some of her collection included Ulysses by James Joyce, Crime And Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Bound For Glory by Woody Guthrie, The Roots Of American Communism by Theodore Draper (a risky title to keep around given the stance that J. Edgar Hoover was taking), The Bible, How To Travel Incognito by Ludwig Bemelmans, The Little Engine That Could, and Jack Kerouac’s On The Road. She also had a number of books that appealed to her domestic side. She had some books on cooking, including The Joy of Cooking; and she was ever hopeful for a child of her own one day and had the book Baby & Child Care by Dr. Benjamin Spock.

Upon the release of Fragments: Poems, Intimate Notes, Letters in 2010, Sam Kashner wrote in Vanity Fair:

“Several photographs taken of Marilyn earlier in her life—the ones she especially liked—show her reading. Eve Arnold photographed her for Esquire magazine in a playground in Amagansett reading James Joyce’s Ulysses. Alfred Eisenstaedt photographed her, for Life, at home, dressed in white slacks and a black top, curled up on her sofa, reading, in front of a shelf of books—her personal library, which would grow to 400 volumes. In another photograph, she’s on a pulled-out sofa bed reading the poetry of Heinrich Heine.

If some photographers thought it was funny to pose the world’s most famously voluptuous ‘dumb blonde’ with a book—James Joyce! Heinrich Heine!—it wasn’t a joke to her. In these newly discovered diary entries and poems, Marilyn reveals a young woman for whom writing and poetry were lifelines, the ways and means to discover who she was and to sort through her often tumultuous emotional life. And books were a refuge and a companion for Marilyn during her bouts of insomnia.”

Some of the most cherished photos by a public who still love and adore her, are not of her standing over subway grates, but are of her curled up with a good book, reading. This is the essence of the Marilyn Monroe who is the center figure in our newest book, Fateful Night, book one of the What She Knew Trilogy. The book is being published by Master Koda Select Publishing and should debut mid April of this year. Book two, Darkest Day, will be out shortly after, mid May or so; with book three following closely behind. Our Marilyn is real, raw and strong. She lives through our historical fiction novel in a way we are sure will thrill her fans and honor her legacy.

Here is a sneak peek at the cover. We’ll keep you posted on actual release dates, signings, and launch parties.

This year will mark the 50th year anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s assassination. And whether you are pro-conspiracy or pro-lone gunman, the question still remains: Why was JFK assassinated? Gary Mack has gone from completely sold out to the conspiracy side of the fence to almost buying the “lone gunman” to now being somewhere in the middle. Not quite agreeing that some nobody could actually change the course of history all on his own. The reasons why Oswald shot JFK have never been fully known. K.R. and I have done our own research and know that for as many questions that have answers there are three times as many that do not.

So, we thought that today, you would enjoy to read about Gary Mack and his journey to finding the truth.

Gary Mack

Gary Mack, longtime curator at the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas, is steeped in John F. Kennedy history and memorabilia, including the motorcade photograph by Walt Sisco of The Dallas Morning News.

Our What She Knew Trilogy is at the publishers, with book one and two being in edits right now. Our trilogy addresses two of the nations biggest scandals of the early 1960’s – Marilyn Monroe and John F Kennedy. We take a deep plunge into the waters of conspiracy and give history a run for its money. It’s no coincidence that even 50 years later, a nation, and for that matter a world, will not let sleeping dogs lie (pun intended.)